Page 74 - Art Reveal no8

74 Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influ- can be inspired just by using a par-
ence on your art practice? ticular material. Using aluminium
has had a big impact on my work.
That’s a difficult question for me as It is such a great material to work
I feel I have been inspired and in- with and lends itself to sculpture
fluenced by many people through- beautifully. As I have become old-
out my career. My mother is a very er I have also become much more
creative person and so practical confident and have started to work
that I am sure that had an effect on to a much larger scale. My latest
me growing up. Both my mother three-dimensional landscape is 4
and my nan were very able sew- metres long.
ers but I never had an interest in
that until I went to college but it
meant I was always around fab- What advice can you give to
ric, sewing machines and various those who are just starting out in
projects each of them were taking the arts?
on. Thinking about it now perhaps
my interest in three dimensional Fundamentally, you should believe
art and constructed textiles comes in yourself, ideas and talent. Mak-
from my father who is an architect. ing a living from being an artist is
I am hugely influenced by the tough, so it’s vital to be proactive,
designer Petra Blaisse and her seek out and create opportunities
company Inside Outside, based to be recognised through market-
in Holland. Her projects fuse ar- ing your work, entering competi-
chitecture, interior and landscape tions, networking and exhibiting
design to create spaces that are and learn to be confident about
sensory and interactive and she is getting your ideas across and peo-
re-defining how we use our build- ple will believe in you.
ings and interior spaces.
Growing up in West Yorkshire has What are your future plans as an
definitely had an effect on how I artist?
see the world. I live surrounded by
the imposing and undulating hills I am planning to exhibit a new body
of the Pennines and Peak District of work I am creating as part of an
which are reference points for my artists group I am part of. Working
life and work. When visiting the in a collective makes it much eas-
city, I come to miss the countryside, ier to approach galleries and you
the hills and the vast openness of can offer a diverse range of work
the landscape and this realisation that can fill a gallery space.
informs my work on how our sur- I have been creating a collection
roundings influence how we live, of sculptural vessels using digital
think and feel and in return how we print and aluminium sheets com-
shape and change our surround- bined with a multitude of materi-
ings to suit our own needs. als including stitch, varnish, paint
amongst many more. I wanted
to explore the interconnection of
How has your work changed in craft and conceptual art.
the past years? I hope to continue to push my work
in new directions and keep on ex-
Working with a mixed range of perimenting and trying new things.
materials has had an impact on I am excited about all possibilities
what I create. Materials are a big and opportunities that may come
source of inspiration for me and I my way.